Warning: This may or may not be NSFW….

Enjoy!

—

Kit could feel the feral feline gaze between his shoulder blades as he retreated down the hall and around the corner. He took a deep, steadying breath and realized he was very much afraid of the lynx. He briefly imagined himself being torn to shreds in his sleep and chuckled darkly to no one. His untimely death was likely to come from pissing off Ty's pet that was not a pet. How utterly poetic.

But also, at this point Kit was digging his own goddamn grave. He wasn't sure he knew how to stop.

He hadn't meant to be a complete asshole when he confronted Ty about the investigation, but there he was, spouting more words that he didn't actually mean.

Well, mostly.

There was definitely a part of him that wanted to make sure Ty didn't stay any longer than he had to.

There was also the part of him that wanted to wrap Ty in his arms and never let go again. Not that he could ever do that.

Don't touch me.

Ty's words echoed menacingly in his head, reminding him once again that he was the most idiotic fuck-twat to ever exist. Why did he grab Ty like that? He knew better than to touch Ty without warning or permission. What the hell was he thinking?

That was the problem. Kit didn't think when it came to Ty. All common sense seemed to evaporate when Ty was around.

He burst into his room and slammed the door shut behind him unceremoniously. He collapsed in a heap on his mattress and bellowed into his pillow, hoping that he hadn't alerted anyone with his outburst, yet feeling no less frustrated.

He desperately needed to get a grip on his emotions. He felt the familiar simmer of his magic underneath the surface of his skin. He knew he could destroy his entire room if he didn't get his feelings under control, and then he would have no choice but to explain that to everyone. He had already accidentally destroyed his bedroom at Cirenworth Hall on three separate occasions.

Calm down.

He inhaled several deep, grounding breaths, just as Tessa had taught him in the first year in Devon. It was the only way to manage the magic that festered within him.

God, how he wished he could control his stupid magic.

It was either nothing at all, or complete and utter destruction. It was infuriating. He thought back to that morning in the training room when he inadvertently transferred his magic into the sword. That was the closest he had come to controlling it, but he still didn't know how to engage it purposefully.

He reached into the drawer of his bedside table, pulling out his headphones and impatiently untangling the cords.

He was about to plug them into the jack in his phone—about to drown out his thoughts and feelings with loud, angry music, when he was interrupted by the appearance of the last person—being, rather—he wanted to see.

"Boo." Livvy's ghost had materialized directly in front of him and he dropped his phone and the headphones to the floor in shock.

"Jesus," he swore, picking up his phone and checking for damage.

"Not Jesus. Just Livvy," she quipped with a smirk.

"No offense, but I'm not exactly in the mood."

"No offense, but you're being an ass."

Kit opened his mouth to retaliate, but found he didn't have anything to retort. He was being as ass.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I don't mean to take it out on you."

She gazed at him for a few long moments, then floated weightlessly up onto the mattress beside him. He watched in mute fascination. Even though he was fairly used to seeing ghosts, Livvy's spirit unnerved him. She seemed more corporeal than the others, but maybe that was because he had actually known her when she was alive. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

"And I'm not the only one who has things to apologize for," he argued. Not that Ty cared enough to apologize anyway.

Livvy's spirit sighed, and Kit swore for a second that he felt the slight exhale of her breath on his skin. "You haven't exactly made it easy for him."

Kit said nothing in response.

After several long minutes of very uncomfortable silence, Livvy drifted off the bed and toward his door. She swiveled in the air and faced him one more time. He gazed at her blue green eyes, the colors muted to a soft pastel.

"You broke your promise to me, Kit," her voice drifted across the room, sinking into his soul like a hook. "I told you not to lead him on if you weren't planning on staying. He needed you, and you left."

His breath seemed to leave him as guilt and anger and disappointment took its place. But he ignored those feelings. "You're wrong. He never needed me."

"If you really think that, then I have nothing more to say to you."

With that, she turned and disappeared through the door, leaving Kit alone with his tormenting thoughts once again.

It seemed that the universe had it out for him though, because he had about two whole minutes of quiet torture before a rasp sounded at his door. He contemplated pretending he wasn't there, until a voice spoke impatiently, "I know you're in there, Kit."

He sighed and plastered on a fake smile before opening the door for Dalton. "Hey," he said quietly, but Dalton didn't entirely return the smile.

"You've been avoiding me," he stated. There wasn't any anger behind it, just concern.

He thought about denying it, making up an excuse about being busy, but Dalton wasn't stupid. He had been there when Ty arrived, he had seen Kit's reaction. Like Dru said, he couldn't avoid this no matter how much he wanted to.

Kit took Dalton's hand and pulled him into the room. "I'm sorry," he said, unable to look Dalton in the eyes.

Dalton wrapped Kit in his arms and rubbed his back soothingly. "I'm not mad at you. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Kit sighed into the embrace, "I am now." He found that he meant it. Dalton's presence was comforting, and Kit found that he was finally starting to relax and the anxious mess in his head was hushing to a dull chatter. "Will you stay with me tonight?" Kit asked.

Dalton nodded into Kit's shoulder before pulling away and removing his shirt and jeans. Kit did the same and crawled under the covers with Dalton by his side. Kit nestled against the other man's chest with Dalton's arm wrapped around him, pulling him closer. Dalton pressed a kiss to Kit's brow and murmured quietly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really, but I know I should," he admitted.

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to...there are just certain things that aren't mine to tell. And I'm not even sure where to start."

"How about I just ask what I want to know and you decide how much to tell me?" Dalton asked, tracing lazy circles on Kit's arm.

"Okay."

Kit prepared himself as best he could for Dalton's questions, entirely uncertain whether this was a good idea.

"What was—or is—your relationship with Ty?"

Kit considered that for a moment, deciding how best to answer such a loaded question. What was his relationship with Ty? He wasn't sure anymore.

"He was my best friend. My first real friend, actually, after my dad died and I was thrust into my new life as a Shadowhunter." It hurt like hell to admit, but at least it was honest. Friendship had been a rare commodity his entire life, since his father had never let him leave the house without him. It wasn't important to share that he had also wanted more than just friendship with Ty.

"How long has it been since you last saw him?"

"Almost three years." It felt like a lifetime.

Dalton nodded in what seemed to be understanding. "I know you left Los Angeles and moved to Devon with Jem and Tessa. What happened to make you leave?"

"That's bordering on forbidden territory." Dalton didn't know about the necromancy or about his faerie magic. And for now, it needed to remain that way. Dalton knowing was far too dangerous.

"What can you tell me about why you left?"

Kit took another steadying breath. "Ty's twin, Livvy, was murdered. I tried to be there for him...but it wasn't enough. We both said and did some hurtful things...I thought leaving was for the best." It wasn't much, but it was the most he could tell Dalton without exposing the real reasons.

"And was it? For the best, I mean."

"I thought so, until last night. I didn't think I was still so angry with him."

Dalton was pensive for awhile, then said encouragingly, "It sounds like you just need to talk to him."

Kit laughed in spite of himself, "Yeah, turns out every time I open my stupid mouth I only manage to make things worse."

Dalton pulled his head back slightly to gaze into Kit's face. He reached out his free hand to push away the hair that had fallen into Kit's eyes, then caressed his knuckles along his cheek tenderly. "You'll figure it out. I believe in you," he whispered.

Kit didn't realize how much he wanted—no, how much he needed to hear those words until they were spoken.

Kit leaned into Dalton, claiming his lips with his own in a frantic, desperate motion, trying to put everything else out of his mind. In moments, Kit was on top, straddling his hips, tangling his hands in Dalton's sun streaked hair. Dalton dragged his fingernails along Kit's spine, slipping his hands under the hem of his boxers and squeezing his ass firmly.

Kit circled his hips rhythmically and it didn't take long until Dalton was panting beneath him, always impatient, begging for release. Kit traced a trail of kisses down his neck, over his sternum and the sculpted muscles of his abdomen, earning delightful little moans. He knew exactly the effect his movements and touches had on him; knew exactly what to do to make him squirm.

As expected, Dalton writhed under him as Kit grazed a finger along his boxer line, toying with the sensitive skin. Dalton let out a groan, and Kit smiled up at him wickedly.

"Tell me you want me," Kit rasped, tugging the boxers down, only half way.

"I want you," muttered Dalton, dark eyes boring into Kit's with unhindered desire.

"Tell me you need me," Kit whispered, sliding off him and pulling the boxers down the remainder of the way.

Dalton kicked them off impatiently, "I need you." It came out as barely a whisper, lustful and throaty.

Kit parted Dalton's legs and knelt between them. He wrapped his hand around the other man's length, stroking him once, twice, before leaning over him to murmur in his ear, "Louder. I need to believe it."

Dalton gasped as Kit settled himself between his legs once more.

"Now, tell me you need me," Kit repeated, continuing to pump his hand over Dalton's shaft.

Dalton's breaths were ragged as he managed to utter the words Kit demanded of him, "I—shit—I need you."

In one swift motion, Kit took him in his mouth, swirling and flicking his tongue over the tip, savoring the feeling of being needed and in control. His other hand stroked the shaft as he sucked him, gently at first, then with more enthusiasm as Dalton fisted a hand in his hair, tugging and pushing.

"Fuck," Dalton moaned. "I'm close."

Kit increased the pace, dragging his teeth lightly across the sensitive under-skin. Dalton's fist tightened and Kit felt the first spasms as he climaxed and spilled himself into Kit's mouth.

Kit licked him clean and rolled onto the bed beside him. A lazy, satisfied smile ghosted Dalton's lips as he fought to catch his breath. "Holy hell, Kit. That was—wow," was all he managed to say.

Kit smirked, "I know, I'm good."

Dalton shoved him playfully and pinned him to the mattress. "Don't get cocky. It's my turn to make you feel good."

—

Ty had returned to his room late, well after everyone else had gone to bed. The institute was quiet, and he had taken time to explore after coming down from the roof. Shadow was off somewhere, likely hunting for rodents. He would have to make sure she got enough to eat; this wasn't the Carpathian Mountains and he couldn't just let her roam freely around London.

His wandering had lead him back to the library, where he perused the shelves until he found a book about plant species and their relevant historical context; he figured he would look into the use of hemlock as a poison. Maybe learning more about its origins would be pertinent to the case. Regardless of whether it would be useful or not, it at least served as a distraction.

Which was what he needed at the moment. Sleep had eluded him, as his mind was preoccupied with unbidden thoughts and regrets. He knew better than to let his mind trail down that path, but it was as if he had surrendered all control the moment he entered the London Institute.

Even his usual sensory fidgets weren't effective in calming his overactive and intrusive musings.

So he immersed himself in his studies, just as he had done over and over again at the Scholomance, taking meticulous notes of anything he found of consequence.

Eventually his exhaustion won out.

He woke up, much later than usual, to sun streaming through his windows and the book spread open over his chest.

After showering and changing into jeans and a hoodie, he wrapped his headphones over his ears and exited his room. Just like the previous morning, Kit emerged from his room across the hall at the same time, hair damp and curling.

They needed to stop meeting like this. Then Ty remembered that it was his fault in the first place, since he had chosen the room across from Kit's on purpose. He mentally kicked himself.

Ty observed with mild curiosity as Dalton emerged beside him, hair also wet. He said, "Good morning," and smiled warmly at Ty, who made a feeble attempt to return it while the wheels turned in his mind.

Dalton began walking down the hall, but stopped short when he realized Kit hadn't followed. Ty was still standing awkwardly in his doorway, locked in a sort of stalemate with Kit, neither of them looking at each other.

"Are you coming?"

Kit shook his head. "I'll be down for breakfast in a bit."

Dalton nodded in understanding, returned to Kit's side and placed a gentle kiss on his brow. "See you later, then."

Ty knew his eyes widened as he finally understood why Dalton always seemed to be in close proximity to Kit at all times. Their relationship was romantic in nature. He felt a flutter of some unfamiliar emotionspread through him at the realization. Whatever it was; it was an unpleasant heavy feeling, like a rock settling in the pit of his stomach.

It was then that he realized Kit had spoken to him, and he hadn't heard a word he said. "Sorry, what did you say?" He said sheepishly, pulling the headphones down around his neck and twining the cord around his fingers nervously.

Kit smiled, just a little. "I asked if I could talk to you."

"Sure, what about?" He tried to sound indifferent. After the previous night, he wasn't sure what Kit could possibly have to say to him.

"Walk with me?"

Ty followed in silence, keeping his gaze on anything but Kit's silky golden locks.

"It seems that I have been an ass."

Ty almost laughed, but replied flatly, "Your powers of deduction are unparalleled."

Kit sighed, "I'm serious, Ty."

It was the first time Kit had spoken his name since he arrived. It made Ty finally look at Kit. "Okay."

"I'm sorry about what I said last night. About you thinking you're better than us and about not wanting you here. It's not true."

Ty was thoughtful for a moment. "Why did you say those things, then?" He never understood why people said things they didn't actually mean.

"I have a bad habit of saying idiotic things when I'm angry."

"You should probably work on that," he said simply.

Kit laughed, actually laughed. Ty had always enjoyed the sound, soft and melodic, and a little bit mischievous. It took him back to a time when they would stay up late solving mysteries. A time when they had always been together and Ty finally had someone other than his twin to understand him. He had mistakenly thought Kit would stay with him. But he hadn't. And Ty had been left with nothing.

"You left me," he blurted.

Kit stopped in his tracks. "I had to. The way you had to bring Livvy back."

"That's not the only reason."

"No, and we're not talking about it."

"I need to know why."

He had spent the last two and a half years trying to understand—and failing miserably. He knew he had let Kit down; knew that he should have listened when Kit begged him not to go through with the ritual. But he couldn't. And even if he could go back and do things differently, he wasn't sure he would have. Livvy was his twin—literally his other half. He had been lost without her. Then again, he was lost without Kit, too. He just hadn't let himself admit it, until now.

The thoughts and feelings were all too confusing.

"Please, Ty. Let it go for now."

The way Kit said his name, with a sort of pleading desperation, made Ty reconsider. If the roles were reversed, Kit wouldn't have pushed Ty to talk about something he wasn't ready to talk about. So Ty chose to let it go for the time being. Kit was at least talking to him, which was an improvement.

"Okay, something else then." But it was then that he realized Kit wasn't leading him down to the kitchen. "Where are we going?"

"You said you wanted to take a look at that ring Jaime found. And I have something else to show you."

—

Kit found it difficult to focus with Ty's attention on him. He tried to ignore the way Ty's gray eyes lit up like liquid silver at the mention of a mystery to solve. He also tried, and failed, to ignore his own building excitement about showing him the two artifacts that had come into his possession in the last week.

He pulled the two pieces of jewelry from his safe and set them on the desk in front of Ty. Kit took a seat across from him, which proved to be a mistake because it gave him an unobstructed view of Ty's striking dark hair, still damp and curling just slightly at the ends, falling in his face as he leaned forward to pick up the gaudy ring.

Kit followed Ty's movements as he examined the ring carefully, eyes darting back and forth over the intricate detailing. He slipped it on one of his long, slender fingers and immediately took it off again, a startled and concerned expression coming over his features.

"What's wrong?" Kit asked.

"I'm not sure. Has anyone else worn it?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Here," he handed it to him, his cool fingers gently grazing his palm as he set the ring there. Kit ignored the tingling sensation that emanated from his palm as his stomach did a small back flip. "Put it on. Tell me what you feel."

Kit obliged, sliding the ring onto his pinky finger. The effect was instant. The only way Kit could describe it was like being doused in cold water; water that washed away any and all traces of magic in his bones—Shadowhunter and faerie. It left him feeling utterly empty.

He removed the ring swiftly, expelling a deep breath when he felt the magical thrum of energy in his veins again.

It was an absolutely terrifying and disconcerting sensation, having no magic. For all Kit's frustrated confusion about his own lack of control over his powers, it was a part of him now and he did not want to experience the loss of it.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," Ty breathed. "Nothing good though, if that power can be used to nullify magic. But why would someone want it? Unless this person is powerful enough to harness it...to use it as a weapon."

Kit shivered at the idea. Shadowhunters still had enough enemies in the Downworld. And the Cohort, or whatever they called themselves these days, were enemy to them all.

"Better to keep it locked up then. We may need to pay our vampire friend a visit in the Silent City."

Ty's eyes sparked, just slightly, at the word we. It was impossible not to feel the same pull towards him; the same detrimental need to make Ty happy. It was far too easy for Kit to get wrapped up in the same feelings and emotions that made him act recklessly and impulsively when it came to Tiberius Blackthorn. He knew that if he wasn't careful, he would get swept back up into the same sea of chaos that had landed them in this mess of tense uncertainty in the first place. Kit didn't want to think about it, so he pushed it all back to the deep recesses of his mind.

Ty picked up the amulet with more hesitation, dangling it from his long, slender fingers in front of him. The sunlight streaming through the window seemed to illuminate the turquoise stone from within, and once again Kit felt the strange, yet comforting pull towards the object.

"It's not dangerous. At least, not in the same way that ring is," he assured him. "This is what I really wanted to show you…"

"I'm not sure I understand." Ty's gaze was perplexed, eyebrows knitted in confusion. Clearly the effects of the amulet were still well and truly apparent to Kit only. Whatever it was, Kit could feel it's magic in his soul; it was not a malevolent item.

"Well that makes two—three of us, counting Magnus," Kit sighed, filling him in on the details that he shared with the warlock, but leaving out the part about his faerie lineage. He knew he could trust Ty with the information, but no one else other than Jem, Tessa and Magnus knew.

He told himself it was safer if Ty didn't know.

Ty's brows furrowed as he contemplated the information Kit provided him. "If it's alright, I can contact Catarina at the Scholomance. She'll send whatever we need."

It didn't surprise him that Ty had Catarina wrapped around his finger, but he raised an eyebrow in question, anyway.

If Ty noticed, he chose not to elaborate.

"If that's all…" Ty trailed off. He started to get up, signaling that he was done with their conversation.

"Oh. Yes, that's all," Kit wasn't sure why Ty's sudden eagerness to depart surprised him—and upset him. He had just been a complete ass the night before. Did he really expect anything different?

Ty was at the door when he turned back to glance at Kit. Kit's breath caught as Ty's silver eyes met his for the briefest of moments. His lips parted slightly, as if he were about to say something, but then he closed his mouth again and strode out of the room, leaving Kit staring after him in bewilderment.

What had Ty been about to say?

Kit shook his head of the thoughts and secured the mysterious artifacts in the safe. He was very alarmed by what he and Ty had discovered about the ring, but more troubling still was the fact that someone was after it.

Someone who was likely very angry that their plans had been thwarted by the Shadowhunters.